Individuals
A return once a year tells you what already happened. The useful work is the projection in the fall, the decision about when to take income, and knowing what a sale or a move or a retirement will cost before it happens. We handle the tax returns and the planning around it, and we work with your advisor rather than around them.
Your personal tax return, handled
Most people come to us because they would rather stop worrying about their taxes. You send us your documents through our secure client portal. We prepare the federal return and the return for your state, Alabama or wherever else you live, explain what changed from last year and why, and file once you have approved them. If a letter from the IRS or your state's revenue department turns up later, you send it to us and we deal with it.
The return is the part everyone sees. The part that saves money is the planning around it, and that runs through the whole year.
When the planning matters most
Your return is mostly settled by the time the year ends. The decisions that move it are made before December 31, which is why we would rather hear from you in the fall than in April.
These are the moments worth a call before you act:
- Selling a house, a business interest or a large investment. When you sell, and how the sale is structured, can change the tax owed by a meaningful amount.
- Retiring. Which accounts to draw from first, when to start Social Security, and how required minimum distributions will land in later years.
- Moving between states. The year you move, you file part-year returns, and which state taxes which income is not always obvious.
- A new job, a side business or a large bonus. Withholding that was right last year can be wrong this year, and an underpayment penalty is an avoidable cost.
- An inheritance, or becoming a trustee or executor. Both bring filings and deadlines most people have never met before.
If you live in Alabama
Alabama is friendlier to some taxpayers than people expect. Social Security benefits are not taxed by the state, and neither are most defined-benefit pensions. Alabama also lets you deduct the federal income tax you paid, which few states allow. Withdrawals from a 401(k) or IRA are treated differently, and that difference is one reason the order you draw from accounts in retirement matters.
If you have income without withholding, such as self-employment, rent, or investment gains, you may need to make quarterly estimated payments to both the IRS and your state. Our quarterly estimated tax calculator shows what each payment should be and when it is due.
Working with your advisor
We do not sell investments or insurance. If you have a financial advisor, we work with them so that the tax side and the investment side of a decision are looked at together, rather than one after the other. If you do not have an advisor and want one, we can introduce you to people we trust and then step back from the decision.
Our view is that a large refund is the wrong thing to aim for. It means you lent the government money all year at no interest. We would rather set your withholding so you owe little and get little back, and use the difference somewhere it does you some good.
Estates, trusts and retirement
We also take on the work that comes with the later stages: estate and trust returns, the final return for someone who has died, and planning with your attorney before documents are signed rather than after. Families often come to us for one return and stay because the same people understand the whole picture.
Questions individuals ask us
When is my personal tax return due? For most people, April 15 for the federal return. Alabama and most other states use the same date, though a few do not. An extension gives you until October 15 to file, but not to pay. Any tax owed is still due in April.
What do I need to send you? Your W-2s and 1099s, mortgage interest and property tax statements, charitable receipts, and anything new this year, such as a sale, a new business or a change in family. We send a checklist through the portal each January based on last year's return.
Do I need a CPA if my return is simple? Not always, but many of our clients with simple returns would rather not think about filing at all. We can make that happen: leave it with us and we will get it done. And where a CPA really earns their fee is when your situation changes, or when you want someone to look ahead rather than only back.
Can you help with a past year's return or an IRS notice? Yes. We can amend prior returns, prepare returns that were never filed, and respond to notices from the IRS and state tax agencies on your behalf.
Filing your taxes doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We prepare your return accurately and look for the deductions and credits that apply to you, so you can file with confidence.
Taxes shouldn’t be a surprise. Our proactive tax planning strategies help you reduce liabilities, seize opportunities, and align your tax approach with your long-term goals.
Protecting your legacy starts with the right tax strategy. We handle the specialized requirements of estates and trusts, ensuring your assets are managed and transferred as efficiently as possible. We work alongside the attorney and the trustee so that nobody is guessing about who reports what.
We work alongside your attorney on the tax side: basis, timing, and what each structure costs in practice. The documents are theirs to draft. The numbers are ours, and we would rather run them before the documents are signed than after.
We do not sell investments. We work with the advisor you already have, and if you do not have one we will introduce you to two or three we trust and then stay out of the decision.
Retirement doesn’t happen by accident. Which plan, funded how, and by when. For an owner that usually means comparing a Solo 401(k) against a SEP-IRA, and knowing that the salary deferral has to be elected by December 31st while the employer contribution can wait until the return is filed. We run both sets of numbers before recommending either.
Guides and calculators for individuals
Are you ready to build your legacy?
Whether it’s tax planning, bookkeeping, or business strategy, we’re here to help.